Saturday, October 11, 2008

OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX

This coming Monday, I will be traveling with a co-worker of mine, the famous Pete Hampson, from Asheville, North Carolina to the Outer Banks of the North Carolinian Atlantic shores...

I am excited to hang out with Pete, he is a great character and an incredible spirit! Go ahead, ask me why I am going to the Outer Banks...

No really, ask me - out loud. Wherever you are- that lady across from the counter at the coffee shop s not going to look at you funny or anything.....

Ok, I'll wait....... ..........

........... (just ask out loud and I'll stop waiting...) ............












Ok- I am going to help support the NCOBS Fall '08 Semester COurse going on right now. I was originally supposed to be the mountains instructor for that phase, but a hurricane came through and they started that phase early, and I was then going to be the kayak OBX phase instructor (where they are right now) - but then I injured my leg in a mtn. biking incident. So... alas, I have been invited to travel with Pete to offer wrap-up logistics support for the crew.

I will drive them from the OBX to the Charlotte airport, where I will drop them off on their way to Chile/Argentina... Bariloche I presume.

Then........... it's time for the SERVICE BUS! More on that later, thanks for playing folks,


kshon

Friday, October 10, 2008

"Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast"

Well, these past three weeks have been a huge trial in patience, captivity, and recovery. No, I haven't been abducted by people with ski masks, nor have I been sentenced to a jail term, none of that...

Four weeks ago I ruptured two muscles in my left quad.

Two weeks ago, I went to the doctor.

Yesterday, I was able to take mt first real step on flat land, with no brace on my knee.

Today? I started my first attempt at personal physical therapy...


I never really realized how active I am, until I was unable to be active in such a physical sense...
What a pleasant surprise though because my mind has been engaged in amazing ways since my injury mostly because I was cooped up, barely able to hobble up and down the hilly forest-side of Table Rock.

I have been reading some great literature: An AEE journal issue that made my head spin, NOLS Cookery- is always a great "I wish I coul dbe in the field right now" resource :), and Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks. Wow. My brain is full of new perspectives on social justice in education, there are so many new ideals in my head about educational reform that must take place, and I have been able to analyze my pedagogy and my instructing. I have gone to this philosophical place -- attempting to uncover what it truly means to "experience" something-- and how when we make sense of those experiences, this gives way to growth, knowledge acquisition, liberation, and community development.

It has been tough to "just sit around," but if my mind could measure the distance it has traveled since I've been laid out? I've been puttin' in some miles...

There are a few groups out there that operate in teams, and they know the quality of the axiom: "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast." Well, unfortunately, this is the approach that will be most effective to heal my leg as it should be healed. I say unfortunate because I want my injury to go away "yesterday."

Being in this state though is a really safe space for me to experience different-ableness. I can't do , right now what my friends do. They try and wait for me, or walk slow to show me respect.... the go up stairs at a pace I can follow.... and I have appreciated it. I have always had full use of my body -- and right now I don't. Rather, its full use is a different "full" than it has ever been. I am looking forward to the opportunities this disability affords me. Then, slowly, I am excited to be back to my old running, jogging, hopping, climbing, skipping, anything-but-laying-in-bed self.

Slow progress=smooth progress, and smooth means faster recovery....


stay tuned, more to follow...

kshon

Sunday, October 5, 2008

A Guitar Great: Fusing Rock with Blues

This link will take you to the first part of a multi-series depicting the life of Jimi Hendrix

Jimi's History


Much peace,

KShon

Friday, October 3, 2008

A New Favorite...

Hey everybody,

So, I had this song stuck in my head today... and it was so vivid in my "ear' that I thought "Man, I would love to learn guitar, JUST to be able to play this song." This same night, at the NCOBS OLC Coffee house event, their WFR instructor KT played it on the guitar... Oh my gosh... it was... meant to be? So.... in honor of KT, my "ear", Bonnie Raitt, and John Prine, I have two links to youtube of her performing Angel from Montgomery here they are:

1)

Later version

2)
Older version

Gosh.... her voice is "scratchy velvet smooth".., Someday? I'll play it for you...


Goodnight,


Kshon